Double truck plate-matching machine



March 18, 1941. w. E. BECKER ErAL DOUBLE TRUCK PLATE-MATCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1937 Ewi Hum Mn.

March 18, 1941.

W. E. BECKER ETAL DOUBLE TRUCK PLATE-MATCHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 /796455 5.7%: Away/l v 18, 1941. w. EPBECKER ETAL 2,235,096

DOUBLE TRUCK PLATE-MATCHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1937 4 Sheet-Sheet s .F/i :2? s-xii 3f a .r/ [a fl z lfg 'i 6/ 66 March 18, 1941. w. EBECKER ETAL DOUBLE TRUCK PLATE-MATCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 17, 1937 0 Z M W; M 2 m saw A 2 W M W, M l w w F m w fifgii 2 257 Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOUBLE TRUCK PLATE-MATCHING MACHINE Application February 17, 1937, Serial No. 126,260

17 Claims.

This invention relates to means for machining printing plates and more particularly has reference to means for machining a keyway in the edge of the plate used in printing a double-truck page.

We are, of course, well aware that devices have heretofore been used for forming a keyway in the edge of a printing plate. Such devices, however, have been open to serious objections. The most common manner of accomplishing this result has been to cast the keyway in a casting machine. This process requires the removal of the regular bevel ring from the bottom of the mold and replacing it with a specially formed ring for easting the keyway. One of the principal objections to this process is that it necessitates some appreciable time to make this change.

An important object of our invention is to overcome the difliculties now encountered in the prior art.

Another object of our invention is to provide a machine for forming a keyway in the edge of a printing plate in a minimum of time.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an apparatus for machining a keyway in the edge of a plate for a double-truck page.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide a double truck plate having a machined undercut portion in one of its edges. 30 With these and other objects in View, which may be incident to our improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements comprising our invention may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangements, with out departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make our invention more clearly understood, we have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of our invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of our invention.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 415 an elevation partly in section of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a view taken along line 'l'--'l of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a view in perspective, showing our cutter for forming the required bevel.

Figure 9 is a view in perspective, showing the motor for facing oil at the overhanging lip.

Figure 10 is a view in perspective of our cutter for trimming the edge of the bevel.

Figure 11 is a sectional view showing the manner of holding two plates undercut according to our inventions on the printing roll.

Figure 12 is an end view of a modified form of our invention.

Figure 13 is a view taken along the line l3-l3 of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is an elevation partly in section showing yet another form of our invention.

Figure 15 is a view taken along line l5l5 of Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a view in perspective showing the machining device depicted in Figure 14.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a standard l having a base 2 and a pair of arms 3 and 4. A bracket 5 is secured to the standard by bolts or the like 6.

A cylinder or drum 1 of the same diameter as the printing drum of the printing press is fitted over the arms 3 and 4. A shaft 8 extends through aligned apertures 9 and Ill in the arms 3 and 4 respectively. The shaft is secured against rotary and longitudinal movement by means of screws ll. Webs [Z are also suitably secured to the shaft 8 to support the drum 1.

A ring I3 is mounted on one end of the cylinder 1 and is secured thereto by screws or the like. The inner edge of the ring is beveled as shown at M and the bevel l4 conforms to the customary bevel [4' of a printing plate l5. Referring to Figure 4, it can be seen that, when the plate I5 is positioned on the drum 1, the bevel M will coinoide with bevel I4 and the ring l3 will serve as a stop for the plate.

In order to form the keyway in a plate for the left hand side of the double truck page, the head end of the printing plate I5 is adapted to rest on the stop IS. The inverse is true of the right hand side as the bottom end rests on the stop. As best shown in Figure 5, a strap 11 holds the plate I5 on the cylinder 1. One end of the strap is secured by an adjustable screw 19 to a bracket l8 provided on the cylinder. The other extremity of the strap terminates in an eccentric locking device 20 which is adapted to fit over a bracket 2|.

The machining portion of our invention comprises a revolving tool head depicted generally at 22. The tool head 22 is driven by an electric motor 23 mounted on the bracket i. It is to be understood, however, that any other suitable source of power may be employed in lieu of an electric motor. As shown in Figures 4 and 7, a sleeve 24 is keyed as at 25 on the shaft 8. As will later be more fully discussed, the sleeve is movable longitudinally on the shaft but is held from rotary movement by the keys 25. The inner race 26 of a ball-bearing 2! is positioned on a reduced portion of the sleeve. The outer race 29 carries a cutter head 23. A cover plate is secured to the cutter head 28 by screws 3i. The plate 33 prevents foreign matter from entering into the bearings 2'1 and alsokeeps the upper race 2! in position.

Secured to the cutter head 23, as at 32, is a ring gear 33. The gear 33 meshes with a long pinion 3d carried by the shaft of the motor 23 for rotating the cutting head 2%.

The cutting head 28 is provided with a plurality of cutter tools or bits designated 35. Screws 3i; removably secure the cutting members in place.

In order to provide a locking edge for double truck plates, we have found that machining will give a much better joint for uniting the plates than any process heretofore employed. By employing a plurality of cutters having different bevels, an excellent and uniform undercut is provided in the edge of the plate. In Figures 8, 9 and 10, we have shown the types of cutters which best accomplish the desired results. The cutter shown in Figure 8 is provided with a bevel 35' for making the necessary undercut; the cutter in Figure 9 is provided with a bevel 35" for facing the overhanging lip formed by cutting the bevel in Figure 8 and Figure 10 shows the cutter having a right angle cutting edge 35" for trimming the lower edge of the undercut.

It will be appreciated that the number of cutters 35', 35", and 3'5" used may be varied to suit any desired working conditions. W e have found that excellent results are obtained when six outters for machining the keyway are positioned as shown in Figure 6. As depicted, we use three cutters 35' spaced sixty degrees apart with the remaining cutters 333" and 35 arranged as shown. However, it is to be understood that any positioning of the cutting members which will properly machine the desired overhanging lip and bevel may be used.

In order to advance the cutting head 28 into the plate [5, the following arrangement is employed. The end of the shaft 8 is provided with a screw threaded longitudinal bore 3?. A shaft 38 having a screw threaded portion 38 is adapted to be screwed into the bore and is provided with a flange 39.

The shaft 38 extends through an aperture id in the end of the sleeve 2:! and is provided at its outer end with a hand operating wheel 4 i. It will be appreciated that there can be no longitudinal displacement of the shaft 33 due to the hub d2 of the hand wheel M and the flange 33.

From the foregoing it is apparent that by rotating the hand wheel ll the cutting head 28 will be moved toward the plate it so as to machine the plate to the necessary degree. The cutting head may be moved away from the plate by turning the hand wheel ll in an inverse'direction. Obviously, such an arrangement will permit the operator to move the cutter into and out of contact with the plate It in a minimum of time. Moreover, the danger of improperly machining the keyway in the edge of the plate is greatly reduced as the operator can clearly see the progress being made.

Referring to Figure 11, we have shown the manner in which the double truck page is assembled. One of the plates 50 has its beveled edge 58 abutting a stop member 52 provided on a press roll 53. The opposite or inner edge of the plate 50 is provided with an undercut portion 56 and an overhanging lip 55. Similarly, a second printing plate 53 is provided with an undercut portion 57 and an overhanging lip 58. A double truck key 59 is inserted into the undercut portion of the plate 5d. The plate 56 is then moved into engagement with the key by means of an adjustable slide 60 which is provided with a bevel edge,

iii conforming to the bevel of the plate 56.

In Figures 12 and 13, we have shown a somewhat modified form of our invention. Grooves E38 are provided in the bracket 4 and a slide llll is adapted to move in the grooves. A hand wheel m2 having a screw threaded portion I93 extends through a screw threaded aperture in the slide lUi. Suitably affixed to the cutting head 28 is a gear I66. As shown, the gear I66 is provided with a guard I87. Meshing with gear N36 is a gear "58 carried by the shaft of the motor I04 for imparting rotary movement to the cutter head 26. The gears Hi6 and 168 are preferably of the silent mesh type.

The operation of this form of our invention is essentially the same as that heretofore described. By merely rotating the hand wheel I82, the cutter head is moved into and out of engagement with the printing plate secured to the cylinder 1.

There is shown in Figures 14 to 16 inclusive another form of our apparatus. It should be noted that this form diifers from the apparatus shown in Figure 1 in that the plate support is movable and the cutting members are stationary, and it is possible to machine the edges of two printing plates in the same operation.

Referring to Figure 14, we have shown a pair of standards 29B and Zill which'are suitably affixed to a base 262. The standard 260 is of greater height than the standard 2M and is provided with an enlarged horizontal portion 293, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereinafter.

A shaft 204 having reduced ends 235 is journaled in the standard 2b! in a bushing 286. The other reduced end of the shaft is journaled in an offset portion 2W provided on the standard 2% in a bushing 203.

A cylinder or drum 239 provided with supporting webs 2 is keyed to the shaft 294 as at 2E2. A ring 2L5, similar in construction to ring l3 shown in Figure 1, is secured around the periphery of the drum 2%. Diametrically oppose stops 2M and 215 are secured to the sides of the drum as at 2N and 2|! so as to prevent rotary movement of printing plates 2&8 and 219 with respect to the drum.

In order to properly secure the plates to the drum 2853, a strap 22] is fitted aroundthe plates and is provided with a suitable locking device 222.

An essential feature of this form of our apparatus is to provide means whereby the plate supporting drum 269 may be rotated. As clearly shown in Figure 14, a gear 223 is keyed to the reduced end of the shaft 294 as at 224.

A counterbalance 225 is adjustably affixed to the gear at 22$ in a line at right angles to the stops 2M and H5. Obviously, the counterbalance 225 may be shifted on the gear 223 in order to take care of variations in weight of the pairs of plates being machined.

The gear 223 meshes with a pinion 221 carried by the shaft of an electric motor 228.

The machining portion of the device comprises a non-rotatable but slidable tool carrier 229. As shown in Figures 14 and 16, the horizontal portion 203 of the standard 200 is provided with a horizontal slide or groove 23l. The tool carrier 229 is provided with a dovetail 232 which is slidably fitted within the guideway 23 l.

The tool carrier is provided with a plurality of cutting tools or bits 233 which are removably secured thereto as at 235. Inasmuch as the tools 233 are similar in construction to the cutting tools 35 hereinbefore described, it is not deemed necessary to describe these members.

In order to advance the tool carrier toward the drum 209, the following construction is provided. As shown in Figure 14, the tool carrier 229 is provided with a threaded longitudinal bore 236. A feed screw 231 is adapted to be screwed into the bore 236. The end of the screw 231 is journaled in a plate 238' secured to the end of the horizontal portion 203, and a collar 239 is shrunk on the screw adjacent the plate 238. An operating handle 24! is secured to the screw adjacent the outer face of the plate 239. The handle 2 together with the collar 239 will prevent axial movement of the screw with respect to the plate. It is obvious that, by rotating the operating handle 24!, the tool carrier 229 will be moved either forward or backward, depending of course upon the direction of rotation.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that, when the drum 209 is rotated through the gear train, a keyway may be cut in the edges of the plates by advancing the tool carrier 229 by rotating the hand wheel 24 l.

Our invention of course finds particular application in the formation of printing plates for the normal double truck page. However, it will of course be apparent that the device is efflcacious when it is desired to make a plate to provide a bleed page-that is, a page in which the printed matter extends to the very edge. In such case, the sides of the plate may be readily trimmed all the way down to the side of the type.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that we have devised an apparatus which will economically machine an undercut edge in a printing plate. Moreover, with this apparatus it is possible to machine an overhanging lip and bevel in double truck page in much less time than by the use of the methods now in use.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims,

We claim:

1. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a tool carrier movable toward and away from the printing plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutting members carried by the tool carrier and means to move the tool carrier so that the cutting members move successively into the edge of the plate to form an undercut therein.

2. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a rotatable tool carrier movable toward and away from the printing plate, a plurality of circumrferentially spaced cutting members carried by the tool carrier and means to move the cutting members toward and away from the printing plate during the rotation of the tool carrier, one of said cutting members making an undercut in the edge of the plate, a second cutting member facing the overhanging lip and a third cutting member facing the lower edge of the undercut.

3. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a tool carrier movable toward and away from the printing plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced different cutting members carried by the tool carrier and means to move the cutting members into the edge of the plate so that the cutting members move successively into the edge of the plate to form an undercut therein.

4. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, means to secure the plate to the support, a rotatable tool carrier movable toward and away from the printing plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced different cutting members carried by the tool carrier, said cutting members being so shaped as to machine an overhanging lip and bevel in the edge of the plate and means to move the cutting members toward and away from the plate during their rotation.

5. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a tool carrier movable toward and away from the plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced different cutting members carried by the tool carrier, said cutting members being so shaped as to machine an overhanging lip and bevel in the edge of the plate and means to rotate the tool carrier.

6. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a tool carrier, a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutting members carried by the tool carrier, means to effect a relative axial movement of the support and tool carrier, and means to effect a relative rotary movement of the support and tool carrier, one of said cutting members making an undercut in the edge of the plate, a second cutting member facing the overhanging lip and a third cutting member facing the lower edge of the undercut.

7. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a tool carrier, a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier, means to rotate the plate support, and means to advance the tool carrier to machine a keyway in the edge of the plate.

8. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a rotatable support for a pair of printing plates, means to secure the plates to the support, a counterweight associated with said support to provide for variations in the weight of the printing plates, a tool carrier movable toward and away from the support,

cutting members carried by said tool carrier,

means to move said tool carrier, and means to rotate the plate support.

9. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a tool carrier, a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier, means to advance the tool carrier toward the support, a source of power positioned in fixed relationship with the support, means driven by saidsource of power to impart movement in cutting direction to the tool carrier, said driven means permitting said advancement of the tool carrier relative to the source of power, one of said cutting members making an undercut in the edge of the plate,

a second cutting member facing the overhanging lip and a third cutting member facing the lower edge of the undercut.

10. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a rotary tool carrier, a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier,

means to axially advance the tool carrier toward the support, a power supplying means positioned in fixed relationship with the support, means driven by said power means to impart a rotary movement to the tool carrier, said driven means permitting axial movement of the tool carrier relative to said power means, one of said cutting members making an undercut in the edge of the plate, a second cutting member facing the overhanging lip and a third cutting member facing the lower edge of the undercut.

11. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a drum support for a printing plate, a rotatable tool carrier having its shaft concentric with thatof said drum support, power supply means, said tool carrier being slidable along its axis, said tool carrier being rotatively driven by projections thereon engagingcomplementary projections on the power supply means, said projections permitting relative axial movement between the tool carrier and the power supply means, means to move the tool carrier toward the drum' support, and a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier.

12. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a drum support for a printing plate, a rotatable tool carrier having its shaft concentric with that of said drum support, power supply means, said tool carrier being slidable along its axis, a ring gear fixed to the tool carrier, driving means carrying a shaft gear slidably engaging the ring gear, means concen trio with and. partiall ringed by said carrier shaft to move the tool carrier toward the drum support, and a plurality of tools carried by said tool carrier.

13. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a print ing plate, a tool carrier, a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier, a power supplying means for imparting movement of the tool carrier in cutting direction, means for jointly advancing the tool carrier and the power supplying means toward said support.

14. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a rotatable tool carrier, a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier, a power supplying means for rotating the tool carrier, means for jointly advancing the tool carrier and the power supply means toward said support.

15. An apparatus for machining double truck printing plates comprising a support for a rotatable printing plate, means adapted to secure a printing plate to said support, counterweight means adjustably positionable on said support in various directions and at various distances away from the axis of rotation of said support, whereby the center of gravity of said support may be shifted to coincide with said axis, a tool carrier, a plurality of cutting members carried by the tool carrier, and means to move the tool carrier toward said support and parallel to member facing the lower edge of the undercut and means to move said cutting members toward and away from the edge of the printing plate.

17. An apparatus for machining double truck.

printing plates comprising a support for a printing plate, a rotatable tool carrier movable toward and away from the edge of the printing plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutting members carried by the tool carrier, three of said cutting members being undercutting tools spaced 120 apart, and two lip members and one undercut facing member positioned equally distant between said undercutting cutters and means to move the cutting tools toward and away from the edge of the plate.

WILLIAM E. BECKER.

CHARLES S. MAcINTOSH 

